TRP: Jasmilia, Larkin, and Theo (Jasmilia Visits Larkin)
JEN day 366, the Redbird's cutler shop in Glimmerton "And remember how I showed you," Larkin called up from the bottom of the stairs. "Toes and outsides of your feet first. Balance your weight." She and Theo had been walking up and down the wooden steps for the past hour, trying to cross the distance with as little noise as possible. Theo hadn't managed yet but that was okay- it was an especially creaky set of stairs. She was getting better every time they practiced COYOTE There was a rapping noise on the door, and someone stepped in. It was, at a glance, a normal customer— then, on a closer look, it was Jasmilia. She wore her long hair tied back into a bun, and her clothing was Calishimi, as though she’d just stepped out of then desert. She wore a light coat— doubtless she was cold, since it was a chilly morning in Glimmerton— but when she moved, the light glinted off a pin on her chest. It was the sigil of Emperor Rexarius. JEN Larkin had to look twice before she could place the familiar woman standing in the front room. Cat was already walking over to greet her but Larkin doubted Jasmilia was here to get a pair of scissors sharpened. "Hey, uh. Wait there for a moment," Larkin said to Theo and backed it up with the cant sign for halt. COYOTE Theo glanced up, disinterested, and started to ignore Larkin and continue was she was doing— then she glanced over, focused on Jasmilia, and skittered back up the stairs, wide-eyed. Jasmilia couldn’t help but feel a little... hurt, at that. She didn’t show that, though, folding her arms and standing imperiously in the center of the shop. If this was her nieces’s shop, then these people were her nieces’s employees. “Sorry to just show up,” Jasmilia said to Larkin. “I wasn’t sure how to contact you. Renar didn’t say.” JEN "Did he not?" Larkin said as she turned back from watching Theo flee up the stairs. "How'd you I'm here?" She came a few steps closer and leaned against the doorway that led into the backroom and to the stairs, blocking it. COYOTE “I took a guess. Searched around for places that are usually used for this shit. Went to a bunch of them. I used to run a gang. I know how to find them. D’you have time to chat? Off the clock? Or you busy?” Jasmilia wasn’t inclined to interrupt a crime boss during her work hours. JEN Larkin had half a mind to just send Jasmilia away, but her curiosity won over. Her aunt seemed to have gone through too much effort for just a chat. "I got a minute," Larkin said. She threw Cat a glance and he scurried past her into the back room. When he was gone, Larkin closed the door behind her and walked over to lock the entrance, too. COYOTE Jasmilia sat down in a nearby chair, kicking out her boots. They were tipped with small dragon skulls. Mud had gotten into the carved silver teeth from walking outside. "How's Theo doing?" Jasmilia asked, impassively. It was half to see how Larkin reacted to it. Whether she got angry, like Jasmilia figured Goro would, or whether she just shrugged and said Theo was fine. JEN "That why you're here?" Larkin crossed her arms, giving Jasmilia a flat look. "You know you're not getting her back." COYOTE Jasmilia gave her a flat, cold look back. "I asked you how she was doing, not your opinion on who owns the kid." JEN Larkin chuckled, once. "Just thought I'd save us both some time. She's doing good." COYOTE Jasmilia relaxed with a snort, her mouth twitching. She glanced, once, upstairs-- she didn't like Theo being here, it felt... unfair, somehow, in a way she couldn't place, like Theo didn't deserve it. "I'm not here to cause trouble," Jasmilia said. "No real business, either. Honestly just here to catch up. Renar talks about you. He hopes you're doing well, he says." JEN "Does he?" Larkin wiped the surprised look off her face. Jasmilia didn't have to know how hard that had just hit. "Weird. I thought he lost interest in me." She shrugged. COYOTE Huh. Jasmilia wasn't sure what she meant by that. She shrugged. "No clue what goes on in his head. Just because you're not around or not directly working for him doesn't mean he doesn't care about you, though. I didn't go with him when he left Calimport because I had better shit to do, but... I bet he would've welcomed me back if I'd gone to him. You know how he is." JEN "Yeah. Family first." Larkin hesitated a moment, then said, "he's not talked to me since he left. Doesn't want me to find him." COYOTE "Yeah? Who fucking cares. You're probably better off without him for a while. Some people need that. Need to be alone before you can figure out who you are, not just what people want you to be." JEN Larkin gave a noncommittal grunt. She didn't really need Jasmilia's advice on how to live her life. Funny, though, that apparently Goro and his mother did agree on one thing. COYOTE Jasmilia glanced around. "This what you wanna do? Run things? For some reason you didn't strike me as the type." JEN Larkin shrugged again. "I'm not. But someone's gotta." COYOTE "Could come to Calimport. Be on the winning side of the war. Join the secret police. The boss would love you." JEN "The boss?" Larkin grimaced. "Thanks, I don't wanna get fucking eaten. I'm not much of a work-for-the-government type, too, y'know." COYOTE Jasmilia snickered. "That's what Renar said. Sure. No problem." She rubbed the back of her neck with her gloved hand and leaned back against the table. She seemed to be thinking something over, eyeing Larkin. JEN Larkin waited a few moments, shifting her weight around her feet. When nothing else came, she said, "You know, you really shouldn't show your face around here. Goro's gonna get pissed when he hears. Can't say I disagree." COYOTE "I don't give a shit if people hate me. I'm right. Goro can kick and scream all he likes." JEN "Just sayin'. Might be healthier." COYOTE Jasmilia's mouth twisted in a wry smile. "Yeah. You're probably right. Fifty's not a bad age to die, though." She rubbed her ring finger through her glove. "Saw him in the market the other day. When I was looking for you. Don't think he saw me." JEN "Hmm." Was that disappointment Larkin had just heard? A mother's longing for her child's attention? Yeah, pretty fucking unlikely. "Nah," she said. "Would've known if he had. Damn sure." COYOTE Jasmilia cracked a smile. “Yeah, no doubt.” She braced herself on the counter. “Had that big boyfriend of his with him. Had a wedding ring on him, too.” JEN Larkin countered Jasmilia's smile with a scowl. "Yeah. He's doing well. And don't you try take credit for it." COYOTE “Huh. Alright.” Then Jasmilia couldn't help but add: "I mean..." She was the source of Goro's happy life. Same as heating steel in a furnace, then beating it into the proper shape. The metal didn't like being sharpened. She eyed Larkin. "Hey," she said. "Did Renar go easy on you or something?" JEN "Renar only raised me 'cause he loves Pa so much," Larkin said with the same unimpressed expression. She knew where Jasmilia was gonna go with this. "But he took proper care of me. Which means he actually did raise me." COYOTE "Yeah?" Jasmilia said, unimpressed. "You're softer than Goro." JEN Larkin snorted. "You don't know shit about either of us." COYOTE Jasmilia narrowed her eyes. "I could. We could work together." She surveyed Larkin. "This really what you want to be doing? Making your own little business empire? You're not the leader type. You could come work with me. Be alone, or with a partner. Work for the secret police. No more pushing papers or bossing around low-level grunts or babysitting." JEN "Thanks for your concern," Larkin said with mock politeness, "but I like things how they are. Secret police-" she scoffed and shook her head. "Who the fuck you think you're talking to." COYOTE Jasmilia clicked her tongue. "Too proud. Don't like that I left Goro, so now you're holding a grudge? Don't wanna accept family help?" JEN "When's the last time you've been family?" COYOTE That seemed to strike a nerve. Jasmilia's mouth twisted in anger, and she gave Larkin an ugly look, hands gripping tight to the edge of the table. Then her anger seemed to get the better of her, and, impulsively, she stepped forward, hand raised to swat Larkin across the face. JEN Larkin didn't move. She kept her arms crossed and took the blow, which had more sting than force. She fixed her eyes back on Jasmilia's, expression flat. COYOTE Jasmilia's expression went cold, and she went back a second time, this time closing her hand into a fist. JEN As she did, Larkin unfolded her arms, just in time to meet Jasmilia's hand in the air and redirect it away from herself. In her other hand, a knife appeared. COYOTE Jasmilia let her hand drop. She stared Larkin down with a flinty look, staying exactly where she was, only inches away, and flatly ignored the knife. She did not draw a weapon or back away. JEN Larkin smirked. "Now what? Huh?" She raised the knife and peered down it's blade. "You're gonna... discipline me for being too soft? That what you're doing?" COYOTE "Not my fucking job to discipline you. You're a grown fucking woman. Talk shit, get hit. That's all." JEN Larkin laughed again. "You really can't take a jab, huh? You know the saying about hit dogs?" COYOTE "No," Jasmilia said, unmoving. JEN "Too bad. 'cause it really fits a bitch like you." COYOTE Jasmilia snorted. She relaxed, stepping back, mouth twitching a little at the corner. "I was wrong. I like you better than Goro," she said. Her voice was layered with amusement. JEN "I'm thrilled." Larkin put the knife away in turn, then crossed her arms again. COYOTE "Renar did a good job," Jasmilia said. "Maybe I was wrong." She shrugged one shoulder. She felt her eyes wandering up the stairs. Theo was peeking down the stairs, one eye and part of her face visible where the stairs met the ceiling. JEN Larkin followed Jasmilia's look. She couldn't blame Theo for being curious, but Larkin still preferred her far away from her mother, so she raised a hand and spelled go back. COYOTE Theo didn't budge. She wavered, pulling back a second, then stopped, sticking her face down again, scowling guiltily at Larkin. Mama had come back, and Mama was staring at her, stone-faced, but with a funny expression, like Mama wanted to see her or wanted her to come down the stairs, which-- felt good, somehow, like Theo was wanted down there. Which... wasn't normal, before. Theo ignored Larkin and crept down the stairs. She signed at her mother: Did you come to get me now? but Jasmilia just stared back in surprise and... mild confusion. Jasmilia glanced at Larkin. "What, are you fuckers encouraging her to be quiet now? You taught her... what is that, thieves' cant?" JEN Larkin ignored Jasmilia and went to grab Theo before she could come into the room fully. Usually Larkin would let Theo do what she wanted as long as it wouldn't hurt her but... this was different. Theo didn't understand. COYOTE Theo dragged her heels, protesting. No, she signed angrily with one hand. No. Mama. Talk. Jasmilia watched impartially. JEN Larkin tried moving Theo for a moment longer, then gave up. "Alright," she said, then signed you can talk but stay here. Larkin wasn't going to have Theo within grabbing distance of Jasmilia. COYOTE Theo looked pleased. She ducked behind Larkin, wrapping an arm around her waist securely. She signed at Jasmilia: You came to get me? She didn't want to go, and for some reason, standing in the same room made her itch, like she wanted to get out, get away, go climb on top of Hansel. Hansel was large. Theo figured Jasmilia probably couldn't reach her up there. And Goro was always with Hansel, and that was good. Jasmilia looked back blankly. "Hey," she said, squatting so she was eye-level with Theo. "You remember what we talked about? About using your words?" Theo flapped her hands, angry and frustrated, and clung to Larkin's waist. Jasmilia glanced at Larkin and raised her eyebrows. JEN "She asked if you came to get her," Larkin answered. COYOTE "No," Jasmilia told Theo. "Your cousin and your brother won't let me, and I got other shit to do. Sorry, kid." Theo regarded her silently, then nodded in acceptance. That sounded good and correct. Okay, she said signed at Jasmilia. She wanted to say, Good. I don't want to go with you, but she was worried that would make Jasmilia angry at her. Jasmilia glanced up at Larkin. "She not talking at all, now? That's not gonna help her." JEN Larkin shrugged. "It's her choice. She's doing well like this." She rested a hand on Theo's head. COYOTE "How's she gonna talk to people who can't fucking understand her? This is the shit I'm worried about with you people." JEN "Let me guess," Larkin said. "You'd just ditch her on the street until she started talking?" COYOTE "There's other solutions to shit. Y'know what your problem is? You're too busy being snarky to use your fucking common sense. You can get her to talk." JEN "Enlighten me." COYOTE Jasmilia arched her eyebrows at Larkin and didn't move or say anything. She glanced at Theo. Theo hid a little further behind Larkin. JEN Larkin slid her hand down to Theo's shoulder and drew her in a bit closer, waiting. COYOTE Jasmilia shrugged like she didn't give a shit, then moved towards Theo. "Alright. C'mere, kid." JEN Larkin's hand closed around Theo's shoulder but her expression stayed blank. "You should probably get out now." COYOTE "Yeah." Jasmilia turned her back, raising her hand in a good-bye as she walked out of the shop. "Hit me up when you calm down." JEN Larkin waited until the door closed before she let go of Theo. "Sorry about that, kid," she said, one hand ruffling the girl's hair. "You probably miss her but truth is, your mom is a fucking bitch. Err..." Larkin grimaced. Was she supposed to swear in front of Theo? Eh, who knew. COYOTE Theo tried to laugh, and it came out a rasping cough. She stamped her foot. No, she signed. Don't miss. JEN "Oh, uh. Good." COYOTE Theo glanced up at Larkin surreptitiously. Goro says if Jasmilia came and got me, he would come get me again. Would you come too? To help get me. She figured she already knew the answer. She was just gloating over it, a bit. JEN "I mean, yeah." Larkin looked down at Theo, a bit confused by the question. "Of course." COYOTE Theo smirked. COYOTE end COYOTE Title: Jasmilia Visits Larkin Summary: Jasmilia comes to visit Larkin to fish for information on how Goro and Theo are doing. Larkin refuses to give her any. Things are tense as they argue, but Jasmilia ultimately walks away. Category:Text Roleplay